Objective:

The program is based on the 2 slum communities ETASHA has been working in viz, Khanpur-Devli, Mangolpuri-Sultanpuri and their neighboring areas were deeply impacted by the lockdown of the country in the context of the pandemic. With the increasing rate of unemployment and a huge gap between the abilities of job seekers and requirements of job providers, ETASHA tries to bridge the gap by providing Employability skills to the under-privileged youth and connecting them with recruiters. Keeping with the time where mobility has been vastly affected and technology is the new normal, online courses are being conducted with virtual classes being taken by trained facilitators over google meet.

How was the need identified?

ETASHA has been working in all these three communities for over 5 years. Their mobilization team connects with the community through door to door visits, nukkad natak, etc. reach out to youth in the community to create awareness of the importance of skills and working in an organized sector. Understanding the current conditions of remote, virtual way of connecting and the job scenario and unemployment, offering vocational training and placement is all the more important. Further, since they had trained Women Entrepreneurs in Mangolpuri-Sultanpuri and some of them were engaged in stitching and garment making projects, mask making was easily identified as an enterprise to be taken up immediately. The project was started in Mangolpuri-Sultanpuri and quickly taken up in Khanpur- Devli community as well.

Intervention proposed for this problem

The SMART blended Job Readiness Program has been designed to meet the urgent need of youth to work and earn in the context of the changed Covid- driven scenario with respect to employment, mobility and social distancing norms. The Program covers selling and customer service skills, mobile-based working, art of communication, reality of work, and technology readiness under COVID-19 conditions and beyond.The program is delivered over the internet by trainers engaging small groups of young people through their smart phones from respective homes. The program uses experiential, participative and interactive methodologies to ensure development of the skills, attitudes, behaviour, work ethics and discipline required from a responsible customer-facing employee in a modern service sector organisation.

SMART online Job Readiness program works with minimum 12th class pass, 18-year olds to train and prepare them for careers in ITES, E-commerce, Data Management, Retail, Hospitality and in Modern Offices to work on Text, Data and Client Handling jobs. Skills developed include Communication, Presentation, Interpersonal and Social Confidence, Keyboard skills, Computer and Internet Usage, Anger Management and Team working. Since the program is delivered with flexibility of location, they are aiming to be able to reach out and train more than 200 youth in the FY 2020 – 21, with an assurance of placement for every one who completes the program and wants to work.

Their beneficiaries

The beneficiaries of this will be low-income families of Khanpur-Devli in South Delhi and Mangolpuri in North-west Delhi. People living in these communities are typically daily wage labour, pavement vendors, peddlers of tea and homemade snacks, unskilled construction workers and individual service providers in trades like electricians, tailors, cobblers and so on. For a vast majority of them no income for more than a week means no money for food and daily needs. Youth are primarily 12th pass from Govt. schools and some enrolled in colleges pursuing graduation through open school, some maybe drop outs doing menial labour or just whiling away their time. Youth (18 – 26 years old) will be enrolled and trained, based upon their skills and willingness they will then be placed in companies offering jobs with growth prospects in the service sector. Their effort will be to engage as many beneficiaries to maximise the reach and training and placing them.

The Project Implementation Process will include:

• Individual prospective trainee will be made aware of the program, course content and placement
• Parents also will be informed of the same and taken into confidence
• The program will be delivered in classrooms and online using Google meet so it will be ensured that the beneficiary has the infrastructure to attend sessions daily for 3 – 4 hour.
• During the course trainees interest and skills will be mapped to help them choose an appropriate sector as job option
• Reality of the work will be made clear through guest lectures, exposure visits and session so conscious choice is made and retention is better.
• Placement team then works to connect with recruiters to offer opportunities relevant to passing out trainees.

Impact of the project:

The project will have multi-dimensional impact as per below:

• It will provide opportunity for employment for the youth in an organized sector.
• This will in turn improve the life style of their families.
• It will help curtail youth getting into wrong deeds.
• It will create valuable assets within the community through youth being gainfully employed will become more responsible and economically stronger.

Trainees completing vocational programmes and keen on employment have been placed in companies of the organised sector within six to eight weeks of completion of the program at salaries ranging from Rs. 8,500 – Rs. 24,000 per month. ETASHA regularly places trainees with companies like Croma, Amazon, Hamley’s, Apple Stores, Nike Stores, Marks & Spencer, UniClo, Miniso, Lifestyle, Shoppers stop, Net Ambit, KFC, CCD, PVR, Wave Cinemas, Sunbeam, Green Façade, Eco green, DKPL Network Solutions, Hi- Tech Automation, SPH Associates, NkBansal, Jain & Associates and Aegis among others.

1. It will provide opportunity for employment for the youth in an organized sector. which will help curtail youth getting into wrong deeds.
2. This will in turn improve the life style of their families.
3. It will create valuable assets within the community through youth being gainfully employed will become more responsible and economically stronger.

ETASHA Society, a not-for-profit organization, has been working since 2006 to skill underprivileged communities for sustained employment and income generation. They envision a future where every Indian is self-reliant, has self-worth and leads a dignified and productive life. They work with youth in low-income communities, and their influencers, to empower them with the skills, confidence and mindset required for modern-day work environments. The end-goal is to develop an ecosystem where skills are valued and respected, and people are enabled to work with dignity and self-respect.

ETASHA’s work is aligned with the following Sustainable Development Goals of the United Nations:

• SDG 1 – No Poverty
• SDG 3 – Good Health & Well-being
• SDG 4 - Quality Education,
• SDG 5 - Gender Equality,
• SDG 8 - Decent Work and Economic Growth,
• SDG 17 - Partnerships to achieve the Goal

Intervention Model:

Based on their belief that for effective and sustainable change in mindsets of youth, supportive change is required in the thinking of all other significant members of their ecosystem, they work with a systemic, community centric approach to bring about a positive impact on employment and income generation of youth. Their interventions are specifically designed for school-going adolescents, young girls and boys, teachers, adult women and men, families, school systems, social institutions and the organised work sectors.